Amazing teeth
There are many amazing teeth in the animal world.
But we will only talk about the largest tooth among modern representatives of the fauna. The first place in the size of teeth, or rather, just one tooth, is occupied by a marine mammal of the cetacean family, narwhal. This inhabitant of the northern waters of the Arctic and Atlantic oceans is proudly called the sea unicorn. These whales reach impressive sizes - up to 4 meters in length, and the male weighs up to 1.5 tons.
Interestingly, they only have two teeth. At the same time, their left one develops into a spirally twisted tusk up to 3 meters long and weighing 10 kilograms, while the right one is underdeveloped. The purpose of this massive device still raises many questions among zoologists today. This is not a weapon of defense or attack, it is not used to break through ice. It is assumed that this is the sensitive organ of the narwhal - after all, it is penetrated by many tubes, inside of which there are nerve endings.
The teeth may not only be large, but there may be many of them, or they may not be where they should be.
Thus, 17-year-old Ashik Hawaii (India), who suffered from a rare pathology - odontomy, was included in the Guinness Book of Records. These are benign formations of 232 teeth. All his extra teeth were removed because they could lead to problems with swallowing, digestion and facial swelling.
But in the state of Maryland (USA), a tooth was found in the brain of a 4-month-old child. The strange location was caused by a pathology of embryonic development and led to the formation of a tumor. It was removed and the child feels fine.
Stephen Hirst (Great Britain) began to grow a tooth at the age of 47, and not in his mouth, but in his ear. And today it remains a medical mystery how the tooth follicle ended up in such a place and what stimulated its growth.
Everyone knows that children are born without teeth. But here is another record holder from the Guinness Book of Records - Martha Matoni from Kenya. In 2010, she gave birth to a son with a full set of baby teeth - all 28 teeth were already present in the boy’s mouth.
Indian elephant
Among land animals, Indian elephants take the lead. This animal grows 2 tusks at once. Like narwhals, among elephants only males grow tusks; females do not, with rare exceptions. The size of elephant tusks is quite impressive: their average length is 1.6 meters, and their weight is up to 25 kg. But sometimes there are record holders among elephants. For example, a case was recorded when a tusk reached a size of 4 meters and a weight of almost 150 kg.
Elephants' tusks are not just decoration; they skillfully use them when necessary. The elephant, like a person, is left- or right-handed and uses either the right or left tusk more often. This can be determined as the bone wears and the end becomes more rounded.
Elephant tusks grow an average of 17 cm per year
To grind food, the elephant also has 4 molars, which are replaced by new ones as they wear out. On average, this happens 6 times over the course of a long life. New teeth begin to grow behind existing ones and thereby move them forward, ultimately replacing worn-out ones. By the age of 40, this happens for the last time, and by the age of 70, the elephant is left without molars, which leads to exhaustion and death of the animal.
The evolution of our teeth
The teeth of our ancestors, who lived 100 thousand years ago, were twice as large as the average teeth of a modern person. This was explained by biological necessity - rough plant foods and raw meat required just such a chewing apparatus.
Over time, human teeth decreased, according to anthropologists' calculations, by 1% every thousand years. In addition, they not only became smaller, but also changed their purpose. Our largest tooth is the first molar on the upper jaw. The canines have lost their function of holding food and have also become smaller. But not all people grow third molars (wisdom teeth).
Dinosaurs
The largest teeth in the usual sense of the word belong to long-extinct dinosaurs. Once upon a time these giants inhabited our planet.
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Some representatives were of impressive size, which is confirmed by the elements found by archaeologists during excavations.
For example, a Tyronosaurus tooth was found in South Dakota. Its size amazes not only people, but also scientists. The length of the tooth from root to end is 33 cm. Officially, this is the largest tooth of extinct creatures that inhabited our planet, found by scientists.
Another unique discovery occurred in Portugal. A dinosaur tooth measuring 12.7 cm was found, which once again confirmed that our planet was once inhabited by huge predatory lizards. And these are not isolated cases; a tooth measuring 10 cm was also found in Spain.
According to scientists, the owner of this tooth - an allosaurus - was of average size among its relatives, and this means that the found tooth is far from the largest, and scientists still have many more discoveries in this area.
The sharp and strong teeth of dinosaurs easily broke bones and tore flesh.
Vertical symmetry and midline.
The smile line runs along the cutting edges of the upper front teeth (shown as a solid line in the photo) and should ideally follow the curve of the upper edge of the lower lip (shown as a dotted line in the photo), i.e. be convex.
A line passing through the center of the face should pass exactly between the central incisors of the upper jaw. The discrepancy between these lines causes a feeling of disharmony even with a quick glance at your smile from the outside. In this case, it is not at all necessary that it also passes between the central lower incisors.
Bouillon
For loss of strength, flu and other ailments, the list of “healing” dishes in Germany is headed by chicken broth cooked over low heat.
Spices are added to the broth: cloves, peppercorns, bay leaves, parsley roots, onion, and, if desired, a small piece of ginger. A favorite German chicken broth soup with thin, homemade noodles. Author: Inga Vanner
Under hypnosis at the dentist
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Big or not?
The size of teeth is in most cases determined genetically. If a child inherits the elongated and large crowns of one parent and the small size of the jaw of the other, then his units may appear disproportionate. Moreover, if large teeth do not lead to displacement, twisting, growth retardation of other units, speech defects or other problems, this is not a pathology.
The condition when a person develops abnormally large units is called macrodentia in dentistry. This pathology is hereditary and develops when two dental follicles grow together.
How can you tell if your teeth are big? Dentists have developed relative standards for the teeth of the average European. The central upper incisors are normally 9-13 mm long, and the lateral incisors are 2 mm shorter. The normal ratio of width to height of a tooth is 1.25%.
A person is diagnosed with macrodentia if the size of the dental crowns exceeds the norm by 1.5 times. At the same time, large baby teeth in a child are a reason to contact the dentist and check the dental follicles for fusion.
All dental units of the same name have approximately the same height and width, except for the central (medial) incisors. The size of the front teeth of the upper jaw is normally slightly larger than that of the lower jaw. The height of the crown of the upper central incisors varies from 9 to 12 millimeters, width - from 8 to 9 millimeters. The lower teeth are similar in height, but are about 5 millimeters wide. The size of a person's wisdom teeth does not differ from the parameters of other molars. The table below shows the average width of dental crowns in millimeters.
Anomalies in the size of human teeth can be congenital or acquired and are accompanied by malocclusion, impaired chewing functions and an unaesthetic appearance of a smile. The most common deviations are macrodentia and microdentia.
Mustard
Few people know about the benefits of mustard plasters in Germany today. It is also rare for Germans to steam their feet with mustard powder. Mustard is better known here as a remedy for... heartburn! It sounds paradoxical, but a teaspoon of hot mustard, “taken” after a meal, calms the stomach. Mustard oil contained in mustard improves the functioning of the gallbladder and liver, preventing the occurrence of heartburn.
How do Germans get rid of illnesses?
Gum level.
A smile in which the line connecting the necks of the teeth (shown in dotted lines) follows the line of the upper lip, and the level of gum exposed when smiling is symmetrical on the right and left, looks attractive and more aesthetically pleasing. At the same time, with a maximally open smile, only the gum “triangles” between the teeth and a small strip of gum above them (no more than 2-3 mm wide) should be noticeable.
Thus, the gums around the upper teeth, upper and lower lips form a kind of frame for your smile. If the “picture” is not visible behind the frame, then such a smile will not look attractive.
Excessive visualization of the gums (the so-called “gummy smile”) is most often eliminated with the help of surgery, orthodontic treatment, as well as cosmetic interventions (for example, Botox injections into the upper lip, upper lip augmentation, etc.).
Game “Quiz for everyone: What? Where? When?" - answers: Level 1
1 - The largest BIRD in the WORLD?
2 - What color are most often the EYES of NEWBORNs?
3 - What GAS is used in BALLS that can float in the air?
;4 - Which DESERT covers most of North AFRICA?
5 — What mythical HORSE was born from the BLOOD OF MEDUSA?
6 - Who is this: tall, YELLOW with brown spots?
7 - What is the name of the famous TOWER in FRANCE?
8 - A PINK animal with a crocheted TAIL?
9 - What is the name of a FLOATING block of ICE?
10 - What was the name of the famous RULER OF EGYPT about 2000 years ago?
Interesting facts.
When it might become a problem
If large teeth do not have enough space to grow, they curl and go beyond the boundaries of the dentition. This leads to the formation of an incorrect bite, which is no longer as harmless as an unaesthetic smile. Malocclusions lead to disturbances in the functioning of the digestive system.
Sometimes teeth can become enlarged due to gum disease - this is a serious pathology that leads to the development of cervical caries and tooth loss.
Large teeth can cause speech defects, and if psychological problems are added to this, the person becomes uncommunicative, withdrawn, and constrained. And this is a direct path to depression.
In teratoma, a germ cell tumor that often occurs in the ovaries, testicles, and sacrococcygeal region, teeth, hair, eyes, hands, and other extremities can be found in the tumor tissue. Fortunately, such tumors are most often benign and can be removed surgically.
Correction methods
Modern dentistry offers several ways to solve the problem of large teeth. Only a professional doctor - a dentist or orthodontist - will tell the patient what to do and whether it is necessary. The following techniques will help correct the size of teeth:
- Grinding with a special machine can grind down the enamel and give the teeth the optimal size and shape.
- If necessary, it is possible to correct teeth with restoration using a modern composite.
- If it is not possible to sharpen the teeth, you can build up the adjacent teeth using ceramic onlays (veneers, lumineers).
- In some cases, large teeth are just the consequences of an incorrect bite. This is corrected with braces.
- As a last resort, you can resort to removing the tooth and replacing it with an implant of the required size.
Liquorice
A well-known cough remedy, licorice, licorice or licorice root (lat. Glycyrrhiza glabra), is the basis of a favorite “sticky” delicacy among the Germans. Regardless of the form or degree of sweetness, licorice candy can work other wonders. A paste of crushed licorice lozenges and petroleum jelly helps rid feet of calluses and dead skin.
How do Germans get rid of illnesses?
"Golden proportion".
The central incisors of the upper jaw always attract special attention, because... best visible when talking and smiling. Therefore, it is very important that their proportions are correct. The most harmonious looking teeth are those with a ratio of tooth width to length of approximately 0.7-0.8: 1
However, at different ages this ratio may change. Due to the physiological wear of teeth in older age, this ratio tends to be 1:1. Therefore, if you want to “rejuvenate” your smile, you usually need to increase the length of the tooth.
Olive oil
Due to its high content of oleic (monounsaturated) acid, olive oil is considered simply miraculous. It has healing properties. For example: to eliminate eczema, carefully rub the oil into reddened areas of the skin. An excellent preventative against skin inflammation is a bath with 100 ml of oil and 500 ml of milk.
How do Germans get rid of illnesses?
Sometimes it's beautiful
Large, healthy teeth give a person a more youthful appearance. Aesthetic features often become a calling card and a sign of individuality.
Would Hilary Swank (pictured), Julia Roberts, Anne Hathaway become so popular if their smile was “like everyone else’s” - after all, it is this that gives them that piquancy and charm for which their fans love them so much.
So before you give yourself a standard smile, think - maybe it’s your imperfect teeth that are the highlight of your appearance and make you different from others.
Number one
As for the species that takes home the top prize for having the most teeth, umbrella slugs (Umbraculum umbraculum) are colorful sea slugs that grow about 750,000 of these chitinous teeth in their lifetime.
Compared to this plethora of amazingly toothy animals, scientists say our own human teeth are simply boring.
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Interincisal angles.
Interincisal angles are the spaces between the cutting edges of the anterior group of teeth.
With the harmonious construction of teeth, these angles should gradually increase from the center to the periphery: from a small closed angle between the central incisors, to a more direct and even open angle between the 2nd and 3rd teeth.
Tooth wear leads to a decrease or complete absence of interincisal angles, which makes the patient look older when he smiles.
At the same time, “female” teeth are characterized by rounded corners of the incisors, while “male” teeth are characterized by straighter ones.
In pursuit of unusualness
But some people want to stand out so much that they go to extreme measures. Popular in the last decade, vampire-like fangs have become part of a certain subculture.
One of the cosmetic rejuvenation procedures, for example, involves increasing molars. This changes the bite, lengthens the face and leads to a visible reduction in nasolabial folds and correction of the facial contour.
But such vampire fangs did not bring joy to the Chinese boy Wang Penfei. In 2012, his fangs grew and his growth slowed. The boy became withdrawn and aggressive with peers who were whispering behind his back.
The longest fang – 36.7 mm – was removed from an 18-year-old Indian in 2017. It turned out to be 4.7 mm longer than what was already included in the Guinness Book of Records. For comparison: the average size of a human fang is 20 mm.
Musk deer
Externally, musk deer are very similar to deer, but unlike them they do not have antlers and have long fangs. With an average size of an animal weighing 11-18 kg and a height of up to 70-80 cm, they grow fangs 7-9 cm long. Like many representatives of the animal world, males are larger than females. They use their fangs for tournament battles in the fight for place and possession of the female. During a duel, male musk deer often fight to the death. During pursuit, they try to strike the spine with their front legs and stick their sharp fangs. Long fights end with one of the opponents being knocked to the ground and killed by blows from hooves and fangs. Also, long teeth allow you to get food from hard-to-reach places.
Musk deer often live alone or form a herd of no more than three heads
Interdental gingival papillae.
The zenith of the gum is its most concave part around the neck of the tooth (indicated by dots in the photo).
The level of zeniths near different teeth in the smile zone should be at different levels. For the central incisors and canines - approximately at the same level (or slightly higher for the canines), for the lateral incisors - slightly lower than both (as shown by the lines in the photo). At the same time, it is equally important that the zeniths on symmetrical teeth are at the same level.
In this case, attention is drawn to the too low zenith level on tooth 12; it is significantly lower than the symmetrical tooth 22. There is also a slight difference in the position of the zeniths on the central incisors (teeth 11 and 21). As a result of treatment, these shortcomings were eliminated, as can be seen in the first photo.
The gingival papilla is the part of the gum that fills the interdental space (marked with lines in the photo).
The location and appearance of the papillae is determined by the underlying bone, which has exactly the same contour. In the most optimal option, the tops of the gingival papillae are located as in the photo (marked with dots) - between the central incisors the gingival papilla is longest, and gradually its length decreases towards the periphery. Moreover, they should all have a healthy appearance - a triangular shape with a sharp apex, pink color, no swelling.
With various periodontal diseases, as well as with improperly performed restorations, the gingival papilla may become inflamed, acquiring a darker (or even bluish) color, losing its pointed shape, or may even disappear completely. At the same time, unaesthetic black spaces form between the teeth.
This is what the main, but still far from complete, list of parameters that need to be assessed and taken into account when planning and creating an ideal smile looks like. This is what aesthetic dentistry does. Now you can evaluate for yourself how close your smile is to ideal. And I hope that this note will help you better understand what exactly you would like to change and improve. After all, this will greatly facilitate mutual understanding between you and your dentist.
PS See the photographs of clinical cases of my patients presented in this note in detail in the photo gallery section of the site, where details about aesthetic dentistry and modern dental technologies for restoring an ideal smile.
What animals are not afraid of winter?
It’s good when animals have warm fur, then in winter they don’t feel cold at all. Some, such as bears, wolves, and foxes, love winter very much; their warm fur and dense undercoat create coziness and comfort for them. How can animals without fur protect themselves from the cold? Nature helped everyone in this matter in different ways. Take, for example, frogs: they winter well even without a “fur coat,” and you know how? They freeze through and almost turn into ice. And when the sun begins to warm up, streams flow, amphibians (as frogs are also called) thaw out and go about their frog business. But this only happens to cold-blooded animals. Most animals have warm blood, and it saves them from hunger by flowing through the veins and arteries to those places where the body cools most quickly, for example, to the fins of a whale or the paws of a snail. A funny cutworm insect's body is covered with hairs, and air sacs separate the warm chest from the cold abdomen. While resting, the insect cools down, and in order for the flight muscles to work and the moth to fly in the cold, it needs to warm up to about 26 degrees. Well, just like a car! Remember how drivers warm up their engines in the winter mornings.
And black ants are not afraid of frost at all. In the cold, their bodies form a protective agent - glycerin. Getting into any liquid (and into the blood too), it prevents it from freezing. Other animals wait out the cold somewhere in a warm, secluded place. The prickly hedgehog, for example, even in the fall makes a soft nest for itself somewhere in a hollow, under a bush or under the roots of trees. It drags moss, leaves, roots there, curls up into a ball and sleeps until spring.
